The Trail for Trantoul
by CatholicPrincess15
Summary: Sara Trantoul's soul appears to Julius and reveals that it is time for her to move onward to Heaven. However, if Sara's soul leaves the Vampire Killer, it will weaken immensely. There is only one way to ensure the whip's strength: the team must find the Sanctifying Stone. But when old adversaries attack, will they be able to succeed, or will Sara be trapped in the whip forever?
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

Julius Belmont, a legendary vampire killer and the man who permanently killed Dracula in 1999, sank into the couch in his living room after a hard day's work. His wife, Megan, kissed him on the cheek. "How was work, dear?"

In truth, Julius' head spun from all the data he had to crunch with his colleague Genya Arikado, a member of a top secret Japanese government organization.

Genya Arikado, of course, was an alias. His birth name was Adrian Fahrenheit Ţepeş, son of Dracula and his wife Lisa. Since his father was a vampire and his mother a human, Arikado was a dhampir. Arikado also liked to go by 'Alucard', Dracula backwards, to prove that he was nothing like his father.

Julius and Arikado collected data on various supernatural activity in the area. And that day, they had to analyze it. If Julius had to look at another pie chart, he'd scream.

Despite all of that, he settled for, "Great. How was your day?"

Megan brushed a lock of black hair behind her ear. "Wonderful. Nicky visited me this morning."

Nicholas, or Nicky as Megan called him, was their 30-year-old son.

"That's nice. What did Nicholas want?"

Soon after he said those words, Julius started to fall asleep.

 _A dark-haired young woman wearing a light blue dress stood next to him. "Greetings. I am Sara Trantoul. I knew your ancestor, Leon Belmont."_

 _Julius nodded. "Yes. If I remember correctly, you were kidnapped by a vampire at Dracula's orders."_

 _Sara frowned. "Indeed. I was part of Dracula's quest to become immortal. After Walter captured me, he infected me with vampirism. It was only then that the Alchemy Whip could become the Vampire Killer. It needed my soul to fuse with it."_

 _"Your story was passed down from Leon to my generation. Your sacrifice was not in vain, Sara. You've done a wonderful thing."_

 _Sara furrowed her brow. "It is time for it to end. It is time for me to join God in Heaven. I must leave the whip."_

 _Julius staggered. "But how can we fight evil without the Vampire Killer? Without your soul, I think it will revert back to the Alchemy Whip. And the Alchemy Whip is so much weaker…"_

 _"There is a way to permanently power the Vampire Killer without my soul. You will need the Sanctifying Stone."_

 _With her words, the Vampire Whip started to glow light blue._

Julius awoke with a start to find a glaring Megan. "Honestly! Am I so boring that I put you to sleep?"

"Meg, I'm doing a lot of work with Arikado. I'm too wiped out for anything else."

Megan's eyes widened. "Do you think that it's time for Nicky to take your place? Come on, Julius, you know you have to retire someday."

The Vampire Killer besides them started to glow light blue. Julius jumped to his feet. "SARA! The dream!"

Megan slipped her arm into Julius'. "What dream?"

"Sara Trantoul … I have to call Arikado."


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Arikado rubbed his forehead after hearing Julius' story over the phone. "Are you sure you're not just hallucinating? Pie charts have that effect on people."

Julius thundered, "Don't get smart with me, Arikado! If it's all in my head, then why is the Vampire Killer glowing blue?"

Arikado droned, "Come here ASAP. I'll research what this is." Arikado hung up and rushed into his private library.

 _Is there anything here about a Sanctifying Stone?_

He poured over countless volumes, but there was nothing on the mysterious rock. Someone knocked at the door. Arikado opened it to find Julius and Megan. Julius was holding up the glowing Vampire Killer.

Arikado's mouth dried. "My research has yielded no results. I'll have to keep up the search."

Megan suggested, "Should we contact Yoko? Magic is her realm, after all."

Yoko Belnades was a perky, nosy blonde who had powerful abilities.

Arikado gripped his phone. "Of course. I just wanted to check the whip for myself first." Then he dialed Yoko's number.

She picked up right away. "Alucard? What's wrong?"

"The Vampire Killer is glowing blue. Sara Trantoul appeared to Julius and requested that we find the Sanctifying Stone. That stone will power the whip so Sara's soul can depart and move on to Heaven."

Yoko paused. "I see. I'll come over straight away. Luckily I have journals with magical objects in them. I'm sure the Sanctifying Stone is in there somewhere."

Julius teased, "Maybe Yoko should take over your job. You're getting rusty."

Thirty minutes later, Yoko arrived with books in tow. "Hi everyone! I brought everything that mentioned the stone!"

Arikado hungrily reached for the first novel and skimmed through until he found a drawing of a pure white gem. "It says 'the Sanctifying Stone has the ability to entrap the magical capabilities of an object once the original power source leaves'. That 'original power source' is Sara's soul. So if we get this rock and somehow fuse it with the whip, Sara will be free."

Megan beamed. "Wonderful! But where do we find it?"

Yoko held up the third book. "The author found it, but was afraid the stone would fall into the hands of evil. So he wrote this riddle for us:

 _"As Dracula's powers weaken, the stone grows stronger_

 _It can't be kept away from much longer_

 _Past the forest, past the hills_

 _Over the mountains and places that chills_

 _Test the boundaries of where you seek_

 _The darkness will try to mind you bleak._

 _The Ebony Stone, the Crimson Stone, the Philosopher's Stone,_

 _With one to rule them all on a throne_

 _One needs the lesser to find the greater_

 _The Sanctifying Stone can stop the hater_

 _It can even bring Sara to rest_

 _For this use is for the best_

 _The lessers will light the way_

 _The answer shall become clear as day_

 _Check the spellings, check the names_

 _Too often the evil hides its blames."_

Julius rolled his eyes. "Why does everything have to be in rhymes? Everyone's obsessed with couplets."

Arikado blinked. "Doesn't the third stanza state that we need to find the Crimson Stone, the Ebony Stone, and the Philosopher's Stone before the Sanctifying Stone?"

Megan analyzed, "I think so. The second stanza called those gems 'lesser' than the Sanctifying Stone. And in the third stanza, it says to find the 'lessers'. That has to be it."

Julius squirmed. "Dracula had the Crimson Stone when I killed him in 1999. His castle was sealed away forever in 2035 …"

Yoko's shoulders drooped. "So the Crimson Stone is lost. We can't help Sara."

Arikado held up a hand. "Don't give up. I sense its presence in this world."

Megan stared at him in awe. "How can you do that?"

Arikado bowed slightly. "I am a dhampir. I feel the elements of the vampire world as well as the human world."

Julius spoke, "Do you think Soma has it? He inherited Dracula's powers. Did another Crimson Stone form with his birth? Or maybe we can tap into some of Dracula's memories inside of Soma."

Yoko bristled. "I hate to put Soma in danger, but I think we have to give him a call."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Soma Cruz, the boy who had Dracula's powers, picked up his schoolbooks and headed to class. His roommate, Josh, followed him. Josh piped up, "Hammer says that after we finish out the schoolyear, we should have a party."

Josh was Hammer's younger brother. Therefore, Josh knew all about the supernatural and hung out with the fighting-evil crew. Arikado thought Soma would adjust to college better if he had a roommate, and Josh was the obvious choice.

Soma smirked. "I bet he just wants to be close to Yoko."

Josh held his head in his hands. "Exactly. Does Hammer do anything else besides dream of Yoko?"

Soma considered that. "He _is_ a merchant. He sold me important items on my quests. I think daydreaming about marrying Yoko is what he does when he has time to kill."

"Meh. I just get so tired of him calling Arikado a 'pretty boy' and speculating that he's secretly dating her."

They arrived at the anthropology center, where they had Elementary Theology. Soma shook his head. "I think Arikado knows that Yoko was interested in him romantically. He would've went out with her if it was mutual."

After all of the day's classes were over, Soma's cell phone rang. "Hello?"

Julius replied, "Soma! Can you come to Arikado's office? We need your help."

Soma moaned, "Do I have to save the world again? I don't like being in situations that involve any risks of me becoming Dracula."

Julius answered, "No. Yoko has to do something with you to track down an ancient artifact."

"Fine. But Josh's coming with me." Soma ended the call before Julius could protest.

Josh overheard Soma's end of the conversation. "Uh oh. Sounds like Celia Fortner's cult is back. Is it Dario?"

Soma swallowed anxiously. "I haven't heard of Dario ever since he fled Celia's castle. When I killed Aguni, I think I killed all his powers. Celia and Dmitrii are dead. It's got to be either Dario or a mysterious cult member that came to power."

The boys hurried to Arikado's residence. Josh was murmuring prayers to Blessed Virgin Mary as Soma knocked on the door. Soma comforted, "It'll be okay. Will holding my rosary make you feel better? I got it from Yoko. It was blessed by the Pope."

An inner light shone in Josh's eyes. "Really? Can I see?"

Soma handed him the sparkling white beads as the door opened. Arikado waved them inside, updating them of the recent events.

Josh summed up, "So Sara wants to be released from the Vampire Killer and we need to find the Crimson Stone?"

Yoko butted in, "Yes. Soma, lie down on the couch. Take this sleeping potion. I'm going to unlock Dracula's memories inside of you to see if any will reveal the Crimson Stone's location."

Soma flopped on the couch warily and accepted the potion. "I'm trusting you here, Yoko."

Soon after, Soma peacefully napped while Yoko used her magic to unlock Dracula's memories. She skipped them all until she got to the year 1999 (but lingered a bit longer on images of the handsome Richter Belmont).

The Demon Castle War played out before everyone's eyes. A young Julius Belmont and Alucard, before his transformation as Arikado approached Dracula menacingly. An elderly Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin battled Dracula's army with exceptional kill for a couple of seniors.

As Julius moved closer to Dracula, a red gem gleamed in the moonlight-the Crimson Stone. Dracula taunted, "Alucard, my son, have you not grown out of your rebellious phase yet? Don't you realize that humans are disgusting germs that must be eradicated?"

Julius cut in, "I didn't kill your wife Lisa. Other humans did, but they're dead now. It's over, yet you keep waging war against innocent mortals. I'm going to put a stop to you tonight, once and for all."

Dracula laughed. "I'll just come back again if you defeat me. How stupid are you, really?"

Alucard crossed his arms. "Let's just say that the power of prayer is more effective than you think."

Dracula snorted. "You think God listens? I sacrificed my life for him, yet He took away Elisabetha. He doesn't care about us."

Julius criticized, "Yet you took Sara Trantoul's life. You made your best friend suffer. The worst part is that God didn't murder Elisabetha, she died from disease, yet you killed Sara! You are truly one of Satan's spawn!"

Dracula smiled. "Yes. I am glad you humans finally realize that. Now, you must die!"

The boys fought against the vampire while the priests at Hakuba Shrine chanted their prayers.

After an indefinite amount of time, Dracula began to dissolve while the Crimson Stone clattered to the floor. The priests started to seal Castlevania into the eclipse. Alucard spoke, "I thank you for your efforts. It is time for us to depart." Alucard turned into a bat and flew away.

Yoko stopped the memories. "The Crimson Stone is sealed away in the eclipse! Arikado, how can you sense it if it's locked away?"

Arikado contemplated that. "Yoko, we need to keep watching."

Yoko huffed but resumed the memories. Charlotte hobbled to where Dracula stood and pocketed the Crimson Stone. "I read that this is the source of Dracula's power. I have to stop it."

Dracula, nearly a puddle of goo, seethed, "Charlotte! Aulin! A terrible fate shall befall you for this!"


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Soma woke up. "Did you guys find anything?"

Megan revealed, "Charlotte Aulin has the Crimson Stone."

Yoko darkened. "No. Charlotte died. I was at her deathbed."

Arikado frustratedly fumed, "The Crimson Stone will eventually turn its owner into a vampire! How was Charlotte immune?"

Julius proposed, "Maybe Charlotte put it in her bank account vault. In that case, the rock would've been left alone?"

Josh tried to be helpful. "Maybe Charlotte found a way to stop its effects?"

Arikado sighed. "Yoko, we're going to have to go to Charlotte's residence. Can you bring us there?"

Yoko scratched her head. "I can, but it's a ways away. After the Battle of 1999, she stayed in a cottage in England."

Julius perked up. "Alright! I love England! Let's go!"

Soma allowed himself to smile. "Sounds like fun."

Arikado barked, "You and Josh are staying here! You still have school! Besides, no evil spirits are popping up. This is just a simple quest for now to help out Sara."

The gang escorted Soma and Josh back to their apartment. Yoko tried to cheer the boys up. "Don't feel bad that you can't come. Look at it this way: you can still hang out with Mina. We'll be fine."

After the two were securely inside, Julius mumbled, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Megan swatted his shoulder. "Relax. Like Arikado said, no evil is threatening us. We're just going to find a lost artifact to save Sara."

Arikado froze. "Forget what I said, Megan. Someone's following us."

They all turned, but found no one, except for Arikado. He bellowed, "Vampire, show yourself!"

Megan paled and squeezed Julius' hand. Suddenly, the form of Joachim Armster materialized. Joachim squinted at Megan. "What are you doing here?"

Julius snapped, "Don't talk to my wife that way! We should be saying that to you! Why are you following us?"

Joachim replied, "Your wife? Sure, and I'm a fully fledged human. Anyway, you seek the Crimson Stone? You were correct to conclude that Charlotte was in possession of it. But you lack an important detail."

Yoko challenged, "What do YOU know that I don't? I was one of Charlotte's best friends! I helped take care of her in her darkest hours! I'm not going to pretend that a pathetic sparkly vampire knows more about her than me!"

Joachim moved closer to Yoko. "Sparkly? My, my, I never knew you felt that way about me. You're quite a sparkler yourself. Did Charlotte tell you why she died? A vampire bite."

Arikado scoffed. "If that's true, then why didn't Charlotte turn into a vampire?"

Joachim raised a fist. "The Sanctuary Spell! She used that spell to save Stella and Loretta. She saved herself with it, too. A vampire attacked her to get the stone."

Julius examined Joachim. "You murdered Charlotte Aulin?"

Joachim's eyes glistened. "Not I. I doubt you even know who he is."

Arikado put his hands on his hips. "Try me."

"Charlotte's killer is Jiang-Shi."

Arikado memorized, "Vampire who lived in the Large Cavern. Defeated by Shanoa. He has the Crimson Stone?"

Joachim gazed toward the stormy sky. "Yes. It also appears that Death moved on from Dracula and has a different master."

Yoko scowled. "So Jiang-Shi is the new Dark Lord?"

Joachim shrugged. "I suppose you could say that. His castle is in China. Good luck."

Julius held up a bottle of holy water. "Why are you helping us? What's in it for you?"

Joachim wrung his hands. "You're helping Sara Trantoul. She was bitten by Walter. I hate Walter. We have a common enemy, and the enemies of your enemy are your friends. So … I believe that means that I consider Sara a friend."

Yoko shook Joachim's hand. "Your human side seems to be sparkling, Joachim."

Joachim chortled. "Thank you. Yours shine through as well, Yoko."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Hammer bounded over to the rest of the fighting-evil gang (minus Soma, Josh, and Mina) with excitement. He was asked to come to set up a shop at a Chinese vampire's castle, and _Yoko_ would be there, the gorgeous, friendly, intelligent witch. When they told him to accompany them at the airport, he was thrilled.

Arikado greeted, "I am glad you could join us, Hammer. Your merchant skills should be helpful to us as we travel to Jiang-Shi's castle. My informants say that it is in Altay."

Hammer replied, "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Julius checked his watch. "The plane should arrive in ten minutes."

Megan crossed her arms. "I hate waiting."

Yoko asked, "Megan, why did Joachim know you? And why was he amused when Julius said you were married?"

Megan's eyes narrowed at the mention of her crunchy encounter with the vampire. "I don't know. Maybe he spied on you all before and I wasn't there, so he wanted to know who I was?"

The intercom blared, "Flight 26 has arrived. Flight 26 has arrived."

The gang got up and boarded the flight. Hammer sat next to Yoko. "Hey. How's life treating you?"

"Great. You?"

"Well. I'm glad that Josh is Soma's roommate. They'll help each other stay on the straight and narrow path."

Julius leaned back in his seat. "I'm napping. Wake me in China or if the plane is attacked midair."

The flight was peaceful. Jiang-Shi's army did not launch a missile into the plane. No Rycudas attacked. The only trouble was when Hammer kept snagging peanuts from the snack cart and irritating the flight attendants.

The group exited the plane and strolled into the airport. Julius inquired, "Do we know where in Altay the castle is?"

Arikado nodded. "Near the Akekule Lake. Ah, here is the car my informants prepared for us." They slid into a sleek car with Arikado at the wheel, Julius in the passenger side, and Megan, Hammer, and Yoko in the back.

As they whizzed by, Yoko remarked, "I love the landscape. The trees are so elegant."

After a while, a giant looming castle appeared in the distance. Megan sarcastically stated, "Oh look. There it is."

Julius grimly observed, "It looks exactly like Dracula's castle."

Arikado put the car in park. "This shall be interesting. With Dracula dead and Jiang-Shi in possession of the Crimson Stone, all of Dracula's servants shall be under Jiang-Shi's control."

Yoko gulped. "Shanoa beat Jiang-Shi. So he's not that hard, right?"

Arikado looked into her eyes. "Yoko, Dracula was defeated a lot more times than Jiang-Shi. This might be a lot harder."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

They approached the midnight colored castle. Julius touched the iron gate. "Be careful. We could very well die."

Megan complained, "So much for a fun quest. Now we're going up against an all-powerful vampire."

Hammer stepped in the courtyard. "Cool. I'll set up shop here. You guys go in."

Arikado wondered, "Should we split up into groups? Julius, you go with Megan, and I'll take Yoko."

Hammer willed all of his self-control not to demand that Yoko should've stayed with him, partly concerned for her safety, and partly jealous of Arikado.

The four people sauntered into the Castle Entrance, full of blood-stained zombies, skeletons, and teething bats. Yoko lit all of the skeletons on fire. Julius slashed through the bats, and Arikado stabbed the zombies.

Julius took Megan's hand. "Meg and I will go in the room to the left and take it from there. You guys take the right."

Arikado and Yoko obliged and entered the right room, full of decaying zombies and skeletons. Yoko kicked a skeleton's head off and punched a bat in the face. She decided to make small-talk to make the fighting-evil thing more fun. "So … Arikado, why exactly did you change your name?"

Arikado used a spell that made it shower light drops that disintegrated monsters upon impact before replying, "After my father was destroyed, I wanted to make sure nothing bad would happen to the mortals ever again. The easiest way was to make a government organization. In order to throw off suspicion, I had to go by a fake name."

Yoko turned the doorknob into the next room, filled with Axe Armors, more fleshy zombies, and irritating bats. Arikado sighed. "I'm guessing Charlotte told you many personal stories, correct?"

Yoko examined a giant marble statue of a Chinese empress. "She talked a lot about Jonathan Morris. They were married. When Jonathan died, Charlotte started using her maiden name again. It was excruciatingly painful for her to lose the love of her life. Now, do you think that this woman was Jiang-Shi's wife? Is there a secret to this statue?"

Arikado tapped on it with his hand. "Not that I can see. Since you are an expert in matters of the heart, I should reveal to you my own woes. Way before you were born, I was in love with a girl named Maria. Maria Renard. Alas, since she was a mortal, she died. Maybe since she knew me as Alucard, I felt a need to change my name."

Yoko kept looking around the room for any clues. "Hmm. Is there anything else here that is of note? A secret door, a breakable wall? I'm really sorry about Maria. But she's in Heaven. You'll see her again. It'll just take a while."

Arikado snarled, "No, I won't, because I'm a dhampir! I'll live forever."

"You know that the world will end, right? You know the line 'On Earth as it is in Heaven' in the _Our Father_?"

Arikado drily questioned, "So you mean that I'll see Maria in an eternity?"

Yoko blushed. "It certainly will be a long while. It was a lot easier comforting Charlotte, since Jonathan died when they were both old. Since you're immortal …"

"Of course. They do not go hand out guides on how to help half-vampires, half-humans grieve in Psychology 101 classes."

Then, Arikado spotted something. "Hmm. There actually is a breakable wall here."

Once Yoko saw the slight gap too, she promptly summoned sharp icicles to penetrate the wall. The pair tore apart the remaining rubble with their hands until they had access to the hidden room.

Two thousand dollars were sitting neatly in a corner with a shiny Shaman's ring glistening in the artificial lights. Arikado briskly shook Yoko's hand. "I believe we make a good team. We might be able to help Sara Trantoul after all."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

Julius and Megan trudged through a dust-stained room. Spin devils born from dust storms swirled around them, thirsting for blood. Julius smacked them with the still glowing Vampire Killer while Megan cowered behind him.

Julius regarded his wife with amused affection. "Meg, if you won't fight monsters, I think you'd be better off with Hammer."

Megan considered that. "You're right. I just don't want you to be alone." She departed and slipped away into the darkness.

Julius pushed through the dusty room into an elaborate hallway with crystal chandeliers, solid gold flowerpots, and regal portraits of Chinese emperors. Suddenly, a malevolent laugh pounded through the corridor. Julius sensed a powerful being radiating from the chandeliers. "Show yourself!"

The evil cackle thundered again, and the menacing Zephyr approached with his long nails. Julius held up the Vampire Killer threateningly, while Zephyr slowed time down as he lunged toward Julius.

Julius jumped out of the way and struck him with the Vampire Killer. Zephyr threw a knife aimed at Julius' throat, the latter ducking and meeting the monster with a lash of the whip.

Zephyr lunged again, but Julius easily dodged and was able to strike him with two hits of the whip instead of one. "Give it up, Zephyr. You're no match for a Belmont."

Zephyr hissed, "I went up against Charlotte Aulin. She wasn't a challenge for Jiang-Shi. What makes you think you'll beat us if the legendary witch succumbed to our power?"

Julius took the opportunity to slash again with the Vampire Killer. "Charlotte and Jonathan killed you. If your mind isn't so twisted with idiocy, you'd remember that I am also a legendary warrior."

Zephyr snaked up the wall, equipped a knife, and leapt at Julius, who suspected the attack and expertly weaved out of harm's way. Julius then advanced with the Vampire Killer and dealt heavy blows.

The fiend dropped to the floor. "Ugh. Why?"

Julius finished the job and delivered the fatal lash. "Go back to Hell where you belong. You will not get in our way to save Sara!"

Zephyr choked, "Sara Trantoul was strong … stronger than Walter imagined … but Jiang-Shi is even more skilled than Dracula …" In a flash, Zephyr was sucked into a portal leading down to Hell.

Julius rolled his eyes and muttered, "One major demon down. Who else wants some?!" With nothing presenting itself, Julius noticed an empty room with a colorful hanfu on the floor.

Julius picked it up. "I suppose this might be good armor for Meg or Yoko." Julius marched out of the room and back into the Zephyr hallway, with a giant room looming at the official exit.

Red eerie candles were the sole lighting of the room. Barbariccia hovered near Julius and dove at his head. Julius plunged the Vampire Killer into their flesh, unmoved by their piercing screams of torment as they disintegrated before his eyes.

A familiar entity he was raised to fear dropped down to his level. "Julius Belmont. We meet at last. I have fought your friends Soma Cruz, Jonathan Morris, and last but not least Charlotte Aulin. She's quite popular among you holy warriors now, isn't she? Too bad you shall suffer her fate now."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Arikado ran his hand along the wall where Ghost Dancers twirled around, balancing swords in their arms. "It appears that we have found the Dance Hall."

Yoko lit many of the dancers on fire without hesitation. "They seem to be more vicious than the ones before. I remember reading in history class about the Feast at Hong Gate, a feast where someone pretended to be a sword dancer and attempted to assassinate Liu Bang, who would later become Emperor."

Arikado swung himself over the highest ledge to reach the steps on the wall leading to a ladder protruding into the ceiling. "The Inner Quarters are up here. A Persephone already curtsied and is ready to pounce on me."

Yoko joined Arikado and kicked the Persephone in the knee. The Persephone staggered, and Yoko used the opportunity to send her back to where she came from. "I'm getting anxious. We haven't seen any boss monsters yet. I feel like they're going to attack us from behind."

"Perhaps Julius and Megan are eliminating them for us."

"I wonder why Megan joined us this time. She usually wants to stay at home waiting for Julius to come back. I hope she can fight. Megan won't last long otherwise."

They duo strolled past countless guest bedrooms with many irate Persephone maids. Yoko slipped the Shaman Ring on her finger. "Besides dealing with monsters, I'm worried about missing a useful item. How can you be so calm?"

"It helps being immortal. Although, my father is no longer the villain. I doubt that Jiang-Shi will have any mercy on me if we are defeated. Yet, we press on."

Yoko spotted a Wyrm Robe underneath one of the beds and pulled it out. "Did one of the maids hide this? Why? They were never this ingenious before. I'm not looking forward to reaching the end."

A harsh voice interrupted, "Why? Are you afraid I'll wipe out the Belnades bloodline? That cursed Sypha never should have been revived from stone. I'll fix that mistake by getting rid of her pretty little descendant!"

Arikado sighed and turned around to find a taller and more muscular Persephone maid. "At least this mega monster is a polite one."

Yoko swiveled to face her threat. "Who are you? You're not a normal Persephone."

The giant maid sneered. "Of course not! I am Despoina, the ruler of the Inner Quarters! Trespassers must pay a fee in blood."

Arikado cast his spell that cast showers of light that set any evil creature on fire on impact, and launched three fireballs into her body. Yoko sent icicles to puncture Despoina's heart. The extreme differences in temperature of the flame and ice sent Despoina's organs struggling to determine how to cope with the onslaught.

Despoina kept swinging wildly with a preference for slashing Yoko. Arikado punched her in the face, and threw more fireballs into her nose. Despoina flopped onto the floor and rolled under the bed, reaching for the Wyrm Robe to gain fire resistance.

Yoko caught on quickly. "Oh. You put the Wyrm Robe there for battle? I hate to break it to you, but I confiscated it. You're through." Yoko channeled all of her magic ability to form a giant column of molten lava and dropped it onto Despoina's head.

Despoina's face melted off, revealing a charcoal skeletal face. She stumbled forward and never got up.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Julius stared at Death's empty eyes. "You seem to have recovered from Dracula's demise rather well. Does Jiang-Shi suit you?"

Death rasped, "I serve whoever possesses the Crimson Stone. I care not whether it is Dracula or Jiang-Shi."

Julius brandished the Vampire Killer. "You did not serve Charlotte Aulin. Don't lie to me and say that you obey whoever has the stone."

Death took out his scythe. "I thought it was obvious that the owner had to be evil. Now, prepare to be sacrificed in this Satanic offering room!"

"Ugh. That's horrible. I'm glad Meg made it out in time so she wouldn't have to hear that ugly sentence."

Death grinned. "Meg actually belongs to Jiang-Shi."

"Don't even think about lying, pest."

"I'm serious. Dead serious."

Julius crossed his arms. "Oh, ha ha. Nice pun. Let's end this. Hopefully I won't have to lay eyes on you again."

Meg appeared before his eyes, floating with her eyes rolled in the back of her head. Death swiped his arm downward, and Meg landed gracefully on the ground. Julius cried out, "Meg! What has he done to you?"

Death hovered behind Meg. "Do you feel Leon Belmont's pain yet? Meet me in the Wizardry Lab to fight to the death." Death grabbed hold of Meg and they both vanished.

Julius took a deep breath. "I see that he left with yet another pun. My poor Meg … Death and Jiang-Shi will pay dearly for this. I should have left Meg behind with Soma and Josh. I'm the worst husband on Earth."

An urge to check up on the boys overwhelmed him, and he found himself dialing Soma's cell phone. Soma picked up immediately. "Do you need my help, Julius?"

 _He's always too eager to jump into potentially life-threatening situations. It's like he doesn't know he could turn into the next Dark Lord._

"I just wanted to see how you and Josh were. Anything unusual on your front? Everyone safe?"

Soma's tone relaxed. "Well, now that you mention it, something extremely strange happened today."

Julius' heartbeat accelerated at thought of the boys facing hordes of monsters on their own. "What?"

"Josh passed his biology test. That never happens."

Julius grip tightened on his phone with anger. "That's not funny! I thought Joachim popped up again and was hassling you!"

"Joachim? Again? Please explain."

Julius decided that telling Soma the bare minimum would suffice. "Joachim was a vampire who bothered us after we dropped you off. Don't worry; we're all safe, but I don't want him around you."

Josh shouted, "HI JULIUS! HOW'S CHINA?! HAMMER CALLED TO SEE HOW I'M DOING AND TOLD ME WHERE YOU ARE! GOOD LUCK TAKING DOWN THE VAMPIRE CASTLE!"

Soma cut in, "What? 'Vampire castle'? You said that you were going to get Sara Trantoul's soul out of the whip, not fight a vampire! You lied to me! How could you?!"

With the stress of his wife being kidnapped and having to deal with a hurt college boy, Julius snapped, "I didn't lie! It turned out that there's more work than we thought! And don't yell at me! Meg's been hurt and I don't have the energy for this!"

"Is she okay?!"

"No! She was possessed by Death! I'm going to go save her; I just wanted to make sure you, Josh, and Mina were alright. Talk to you soon."

Julius hung up and sprinted throughout various rooms. He would find the Wizardry Lab and put a stop to it.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Arikado examined the corpse of Despoina. "She's dead. Let's carry on."

Yoko pushed open the door and found a bunch of Skelerangs standing on a plush red carpet with romantic chandeliers glistening in moonlight. Arikado stabbed the fiends with his sword and frowned. "It appears this is a dead end."

Yoko peered at a small crack in the wall. "No. It requires you to take the form of a bat. Look!"

Arikado saw what she was referring to. "I see. Hold my hand and I'll get us through." Yoko held onto him while Arikado transformed them both into a bat and squeezed through the crack before reverting back to normal where a cluster of Spectral Swords rose. "We must be in Olrox's Quarters. I thought Curtis Lang took care of him a while back."

Yoko shrugged. "Either a new monster inhabits this place or we have to take care of him again. I really wish Curtis were here."

Arikado brushed off her concern. "There was no reason to bother him. The party we have was supposed to be enough to release Sara's soul. Perhaps after we obtain the Crimson Stone, we can contact both him and Michelle to join us. Nevertheless, we must forge on."

The two continued bashing monsters until they bumped into Olrox himself. Olrox jumped in surprise. "Yoko! Alucard! What are you doing here?"

Arikado bristled. "I go by Arikado right now, not Alucard. We're here for the Crimson Stone. Jiang-Shi has it."

Olrox tilted his head. "You think it'll stop all vampire attacks if you have it? I have bad news for you; the Crimson Stone turns whoever has it into a vampire."

Yoko filled him in, "We need it to find the Sanctifying Stone. That's our main objective."

Olrox was obviously intrigued. "I've never heard of it. What exactly does it do?"

Arikado explained, "It powers the Vampire Killer. If it fuses with the whip, Sara Trantoul's soul will finally ascend to Heaven where she belongs."

Olrox turned his back to them. "Interesting. I'll help you since your goal is so unique. I want to see what happens. Do you want me to take you to Jiang-Shi?"

Yoko crossed her arms. "You're in Jiang-Shi's castle. You must be loyal to him like you were to Dracula."

Olrox smiled. "My curiosity is greater than my loyalty. This is why Death hates me so. Let's keep moving."

Arikado noticed a slight shimmer in the corner of the room and approached it. "Ah. This is the Onyx Ring. You never keep it far from you, do you?"

Olrox held it in the light. "No. It's my favorite ring. I like it near me. Speaking of rings, you seem to be lucky in that department. You already found the Shaman Ring?"

Yoko was getting impatient. "Yes. Now where is Jiang-Shi?"

"The Forbidden City."

Arikado didn't slow his pace. "How far away is it?"

The trio made it to a staircase. Olrox held onto the railing. "We're getting closer. We're at the Nest of Evil now."

Yoko perked up a bit. "Oh! Charlotte went through here before. It's like she's comforting me from up above."

Olrox scowled. "Uh oh. Look who's here. It looks like we'll need all the help from up above we can get."


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

Julius didn't pay attention to anything except locating the Wizardry Lab. He raced through countless rooms, even ignoring the calls from Puppet Master to duel. He refused to stop until with relief, he made it.

Julius slowed his pace, exploring every room carefully so he wouldn't miss one. About halfway through, there Death and a possessed Meg stood. Death stated, "Both Leon Belmont and Reinhardt Schneider's lost a loved one."

"Reinhardt got Rosa back. And I will get Meg back."

Death laughed bitterly. "You fool! Did you not heed the prophecy in the journal the Belnades girl had?"

Julius crossed his arms. "Of course I did! Meg being attacked by you has nothing to do with it!"

Death inched closer. "Yes it is. I'll even quote it for you. 'Check the spellings, check the names/Too often the evil hides its blames'. Tell me, what is 'Meg' backwards?!"

Julius answered, "It's the word 'gem'. This still doesn't connect to the riddle. Now let's fight."

Death shook his head. "I'm not fighting you. She's fighting you."

"I won't hurt my wife!"

"IT WAS A SHAM MARRIAGE! SHE NEVER LOVED YOU!"

Julius smacked him with the Vampire Killer, which still glowed light blue. "That is such a detestable lie that I'll kill you for saying."

Death was unfazed. "No. It's true. Think about it. What are you looking for? The Sanctifying Stone. Another word for stone is gem. Meg backwards. Meg is evil. She only married you to kill Charlotte Aulin."

Julius rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot. Jiang-Shi murdered Charlotte, not Meg."

"She was the diversion. Your responsibilities as husband kept you away from Charlotte long enough for Jiang-Shi to strike. You two were close, and you frequently visited her. That all changed once Meg came into your life. She wanted to get you away from Charlotte to Jiang-Shi could knock the life out of her!"

"If that's true, why did you possess her? If she was evil, you wouldn't have had to. Now, let's fight until one of us is dead."

Death smiled. "I possessed her to help her shed her mortal body. Meg isn't a human. She's a vampire. Isn't that right?"

With a definitive swoosh from Death's hand, Meg's black hair turned purple, her dress changed from pure white to black with white skulls on it, while a giant skull materialized in front of her.

Meg waved flirtatiously. "You remember me, right? We met at the Battle of 1999. I thought you were a rather handsome nineteen-year-old. So I thought to myself after Dracula died and Charlotte took the Crimson Stone, 'why not marry the hero so he's away from the victim? Then Jiang-Shi will replace Dracula and will be reincarnated forever'. It worked!"

Julius swallowed. "C-carmilla? I married Carmilla?!"

Meg, or rather, Carmilla nodded. "Yep! You were played. However, I must applaud you for properly parenting Nicky. He's a little Alucard! AHAHAHA!"

 _That's right! If Meg was secretly Carmilla, Nick would be a dhampir!_

 _On the bright side, dhampirs are immortal. Now we don't need to worry about the Belmont bloodline going extinct._

Julius held his weapon up with determination. "I loved you, and you used me. Now that I know who you really are, it's time for you to go deep in the Earth!"

Carmilla gestured for Death to disappear. "Who shall win, husband or wife? The winner decides Nicky's fate. Will he be like Alucard or the opposite of him? Let's find out."


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

Arikado said, "Doppelganger. So kind of you to stop by. I take it that you intend to stop us from battling Jiang-Shi?"

Doppelganger transformed into a Charlotte lookalike. Yoko shot icicles at it mercilessly while Olrox summoned skulls from a portal and sent them after Doppelganger.

Yoko inquired, "How much deeper do we have to go? If we're going to have to deal with fiends like Doppelganger every step of the way, I'll be very annoyed."

Olrox lunged at Doppelganger and crashed his knee into its face. "We're underground, so we're making good progress."

Arikado hurled fireballs and cast the light spell. The light spell finally ended Doppelganger, and it fell to the floor dead.

The trio silently went onward to the Aqueduct of Dragons. Yoko noticed green ooze lingering on the floor. "This is the sewer, isn't it? I'm going to take a very long vacation after this."

Arikado chuckled. "I don't blame you. You've earned it. Olrox, you know the quickest way out, don't you? WAIT! STOP! I'm getting this deadly sensation. Another major vampire suddenly appeared in the castle."

Arikado pulled out his phone. "Julius, are you okay? I need to warn you that another vampire is here. Oh? You already found her? I see; the new vampire emerging is Carmilla. You're battling to the death now? Do you have it handled? Okay. Yoko and I are headed towards the Eternal City so we can confront Jiang-Shi and take the Crimson Stone. Once you're done with Carmilla, meet us there. Good luck."

Olrox seemed genuinely interested. "That sudden uptick in my energy was Carmilla joining in the chaos? She's fighting for Jiang-Shi, isn't she? I believe she teamed up with him to kill Charlotte Aulin."

Yoko restrained the urge to punch him in the face. "You knew and did nothing?! Joachim Armster is better than you! At least he wants to help Sara Trantoul!"

Olrox kept walking and sucked a Merman into a portal leading to Hell. "It posed no threat to me. Why should I have cared? I'm only helping you now because I've never seen anyone try to take Sara's soul out of the Vampire Killer before."

Arikado had enough of arguing. "Are there any major demons in this area? We should be ever vigilant."

Olrox blasted a bat flying nearby with blue fire. "Not that I'm aware of. We need to keep going. Once we get through these sewers, I think we'll get to the Eternal City. But keep in mind that this might be very brutal. There is a torture method called Chinese Water Torture. The Aqueducts of Dragons may be this castle's torture chamber. That being said, onwards!"


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

Julius sprung towards Carmilla menacingly. Carmilla levitated in the air and released her fiery tears of blood that ignited the ground. Julius evaded the infernos when suddenly his cell phone rang.

"Arikado? What's going on with you?"

"Julius, are you okay? I need to warn you that another vampire is here."

Julius slashed at Carmilla with the Vampire Killer when she dared to get close enough to him. "I know. I found her."

"Oh? You found her?"

Julius leapt out of the way of a rather large blaze. "It's Carmilla."

"I see; the new vampire emerging is Carmilla."

Carmilla landed on the ground with a hearty laugh. "That Alucard sure takes his time with that call!"

Julius rolled his eyes. "I'm battling her right now. So, I really got to go now."

Concern brimmed within Arikado's voice. "You're battling to the death now? Do you have it handled?"

Julius gave Carmilla a hateful look. "Oh yes. Trust me; it's personal. She shall die a very painful death."

"Okay. Yoko and I are headed towards the Eternal City so we can confront Jiang-Shi and take the Crimson Stone. Once you're done with Carmilla, meet us there. Good luck."

Julius hung up and tossed a Holy Cross at the vampire. Carmilla stumbled, leapt into the air, and continued with her bloody tears. Julius executed a jump kick that smacked her right in the jaw.

Carmilla screamed, "You may have destroyed Dracula for good, but I won't let you harm Jiang-Shi!" She started trembling, and many metal spikes flung in all directions from her body. A decent amount pierced Julius' flesh.

Julius collapsed onto the floor. Carmilla ceased her attack. "I'll let you bleed to death. It'll be a long, agonizing end, but I won't have my husband die a less exciting demise. Now, Nicky will be mine! I'll have him shed his human side and join the forces of darkness!"

The Vampire Killer's light blue glow started to intensify. The glow brightened until the whole room was overtaken by its shine. Carmilla howled, "No! It cannot be! Oh … ugh …" Carmilla's body burst into flames.

As Carmilla burned to death and turned into ashes, Julius fainted.

 _Sara approached him. "I managed to destroy Carmilla for you. You got your revenge. The metal spikes really got you, didn't they?"_

 _Julius replied, "Yep. I'm going to die here. Sorry I couldn't save you, Sara."_

 _She giggled. "You won't die. I'll fix you up." A white beam radiated from her hands and erased Julius' wounds._

 _Julius stood. "Thank you. We have to go to the Eternal City."_

 _Sara gasped. "No! Not yet! Yoko needs to learn the Sanctuary spell so no one will transform into a creature of the night!"_

 _Julius cursed his stupidity. "That completely slipped my mind. Where can we find it?"_

 _Sara considered that. "Hmm. Charlotte found it in the Sandy Grave. I suppose we'll just have to look around. Now wake up, Julius. You have to go stop Yoko before she gets hurt!"_


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

Olrox pointed at a particularly green waterway. "This seems to contain poison in it. Dracula always liked to kill millions by infecting their waterways. Maybe Jiang-Shi is starting that now."

Yoko pushed a Mermen in the deadly sewers after it stood menacingly in her way. They kept continuing deeper and deeper until a loud shout echoed throughout the chamber. "YOKO! NO!"

Yoko turned to find Julius racing towards them. "Julius, what's wrong?"

Julius reached them. "Sara came to me in a dream. There's a detail we inconveniently overlooked. If any of us possess the Crimson Stone, we'll turn into a vampire unless Yoko uses the Sanctuary Spell!"

Arikado crossed his arms. "Of course. In my haste to complete the dungeon, I forgot all about that conundrum. Did Sara say where we get the spell?"

Julius frowned. "No. That's the problem. This quest is rather tiresome. We're not even done getting the Crimson Stone yet."

A sudden thought occurred to Yoko. "Where's Meg?"

Rather satisfied with the result of his duel, Julius grinned. "Dead."

Everyone gasped while Arikado sputtered, "H-how could you be so happy when your wife is in the afterlife?!"

"She'll come back eventually. By the way, Arikado, you're not the only dhampir anymore."

Yoko's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Was Meg bitten by a vampire?"

"No. She already was a vampire. Meg was Carmilla in disguise this whole time. I married Carmilla! I need so much therapy now!"

Olrox shuddered. "I hate Carmilla. She's like a Succubus with all her seduction."

Arikado put the pieces together. "So your son Nicholas is a dhampir? That is very good news. I might have a friend that won't die on me."

Yoko added, "And we don't need to worry about the Belmont bloodline running out. Nicholas will always be there."

Olrox beamed. "OOH! THE PLOT THICKENS!"

Julius went back to business. "Where is the Sanctuary Spell in here?"

Arikado suggested, "We just have to keep exploring. This time, let's all stay together."

They all pressed onward and reached the Catacombs. Dead bodies littered the ground. Yoko picked up a book one of the corpses held. "This is interesting …"


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

"It says here that a mysterious power was transmitting here. You have to figure out what it was."

Arikado tapped his fingers together. "Do you believe that it's the Sanctuary Spell?"

Yoko frowned at the book. "That's all. We've run out of luck there."

Julius recalled, "Sara said that the Sanctuary Spell was in a desert dungeon."

Olrox perked up. "I KNOW WHERE THAT IS! FOLLOW ME!"

Julius shook his head. _This guy is way to happy to be strolling around in a castle of death._

Olrox led them through many narrow corridors until the doors in front of and behind them slammed shut and wouldn't move. Arikado sighed. "I take it that there's a boss in this room."

Creature exited from his coffin and slowly advanced towards the group. Olrox waved. "Hi Creature! We're just passing through, excuse us."

Creature angrily moaned. Yoko, who read _Frankenstein_ , knew that being unloved was what drove Creature to murder. "It's okay. We like you. We'll be your friend."

Creature punched Yoko in the face. Arikado leapt in front of her. "The character Creature in _Frankenstein_ committed suicide! That's not the same one! This one was born evil!"

Julius gasped. "Spoiler alert! I was reading that!"

"Sorry."

Olrox considered this Creature's hostile nature. "Well, in the novel, Creature lit himself on fire. Is fire this one's weakness, too?"

Julius muttered darkly at the second spoiler. Yoko summoned fireballs that ignited on Creature's skin. After everyone threw as much firepower (literally) at Creature, he finally collapsed on the floor with a groan.

Arikado pushed on the door, and it moved. "We're free to go. Lead on, Olrox."

Olrox continued their path until they reached the Art Gallery. Julius saw a sword on top of a ledge and leapt up to retrieve it. Unfortunately, its stats were much lower than the weapons everyone already equipped. Julius commented, "I think I'll give it to Josh. He doesn't have any weapon, does he?"

Possessed paintbrushes rose into the air and zoomed right towards their hearts. Julius whipped some away, while Yoko and Arikado blasted the remaining ones to charcoal. Olrox complained, "How big is this place? Well, we're almost there, anyway."

After what felt like 5 years to Arikado, they finally made it to the Ancient Ruins. Yoko cheered, "The spell is somewhere in this wing!"

Julius dialed Soma's cell phone number again. "Hey. I'm just checking up on you, Josh, and Mina. Are you all okay?"

Soma replied, "We're safe. Everything on your end?"

"Well, Meg is dead. But don't grieve."

Soma gasped. "I'm so sorry! That must be so painful when your wife dies!"

Julius grunted. "Meg turned out to be Carmilla, a blood-sucking vampire. I married a vampire without knowing it."

Josh chimed in, "That's horrible! I'm so sorry for your loss."

Julius brushed it off. "Well, now's not the time to think about it. We have to locate the Sanctuary Spell pronto so Yoko can possess the Crimson Stone without turning into a vampire."

Julius hung up while Olrox was scratching his chin. "It's probably somewhere deep in. Get comfortable. More aimless strolling."


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

After lots of wandering, a white glow hummed at the end of a corridor. Yoko rushed forward and outstretched her hand to claim the magical properties. "The Sanctuary Spell! We did it!" A white aura surrounded her as the power rushed through her veins and pores.

Julius cracked his knuckles. "Now we get Jiang-Shi and the Crimson Stone!"

Arikado sighed. "That continuous cycle with Dracula will continue with Jiang-Shi. We need the priests from Hakuba Shrine to set up camp here and crush him once and for all."

Olrox patted his shoulder. "One thing at a time, dear Alucard. Right now we're doing this for Sara. Now let's go back to where we came from and advance to the monster's lair! Huh. Death might pounce on us shortly."

Julius darkened. "Oh, he's here. He was there when Meg was revealed to be Carmilla. I hope I get to whip that walrus in the face."

The crew ambled back to the Catacombs where the corpses were laid out on the floor. Olrox swung open the next door where Death was, indeed, waiting for them. "You cannot hurt my new master! Dracula is permanently dead, but Jiang-Shi will live forever!"

Arikado shot out lightning bolts that slashed Death's face while Yoko gave him a roundhouse kick. He staggered back and summoned hundreds of little blades that chopped through the air.

Everyone did their best to dodge them while Julius used the Vampire Killer in an attempt to beat Death into pulp. Olrox shot flames out of his hands and Arikado intensified the effect by using his power that showered light and ignited on target.

Death pulled back his cloak and continued with his onslaught. His scythe sliced through Julius and Yoko. Yoko lost consciousness and fell to the floor. Julius was crawling on the floor. Only Olrox and Arikado were left in fighting condition.

Olrox ripped off his own cloak and shot waves of poison at Death that made him burst like a piñata. Arikado helped Julius stand and scooped up Yoko in his arms. "We'll have to go back to the entrance and recuperate. Thankfully, only Jiang-Shi remains."

After more agonizing traveling, the three men made it to Hammer. Arikado laid Yoko down on Hammer's bed. "She has sustained the worst injuries. Julius wobbled here; he can barely stand. Olrox and I are fine."

Hammer fretted over Yoko like a mother over her child. "What happened? The healing potions are in this cabinet."

Olrox caught him up to speed while Arikado checked her vital signs. "The reason she passed out is from blood loss. The blades didn't pierce her heart or vital organs, but they left extremely nasty gashes into her skin. If we stop the bleeding and keep her hydrated, she should wake up soon."

Hammer applied emergency gauze on Yoko's cuts when a realization dawned on him. "Did Death get Meg? Where is she?"

Julius plopped down on the floor, not wanting to strain his weak muscles. "She's not coming back. Sara took care of her."

Hammer's brow furrowed. "Sara? She's in the whip. You don't mean . . ."

Arikado jumped in, "Meg was a vampire this whole time. She was Carmilla in disguise. This, of course, makes Nicholas a dhampir."

Hammer handed Julius some hand sanitizer for his own gaping scratches. "Your kid is half vampire? That's frightening."

Olrox chimed in, "It makes this much more interesting. The Belmont bloodline is now secure."

"What?"

"Only the Belmonts can wield the Vampire Killer. So there always had to be a Belmont. Which means there had to be marriage and children. Now that Nicholas is immortal, we don't need to worry about the bloodline ending."

Hammer shook his head. "Whatever. I take it you guys didn't get the Crimson Stone if Death demolished you?"

Arikado controlled his annoyance. "Not yet. Once Julius and Yoko are ready, then we'll attack Jiang-Shi. The Crimson Stone is almost ours."


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17**

Arikado swiped Julius' phone from him and dialed Soma. "It's Arikado. How is everything over there?"

Soma responded, "Nothing supernatural. I'm a little upset because I got a C on my test, but that's the worst thing on our end. Josh and Mina are fine, of course. What's going on?"

Arikado crisply relayed, "We just defeated Death. Unfortunately, Julius and Yoko were badly wounded. Julius is recovering slowly, but Yoko is unconscious."

Soma's voice rose. "Is she going to wake up?! Or is she dying?!"

Mina shrieked, "What?! _She?_ Yoko's in trouble?! SOMA! What's going on?!"

Arikado exhaled. "Hammer is tending to her injuries. The only concern is blood loss. She is expected to be fine. Yoko's a Belnades. It's hard to kill them."

Soma changed the subject. "So you fought Death? That means you're almost done, right?"

"With the Crimson Stone. The vampire lord Jiang-Shi has it. All of the vampires and evil undead now swear fidelity to him."

"Better him than me."

"Exactly. Thank you for behaving so far. I don't want you to get hurt."

Arikado hung up and turned his attention to Hammer. "Yoko news?"

Hammer changed the gauze on her wounds. "Thankfully no infection. Or if there is, I already applied antiseptic and keeping an eye on her temperature. The gashes are still gushing, but I'm slowing it down considerably."

Julius shakily stood up. "I'm feeling much better. Much better. A few healing potions, please."

Hammer's head jerked to their location. Julius gulped down the contents. "I'm ready to get back in there and smash Jiang-Shi to pieces. So, Nurse Hammer, anything I can do to speed up Yoko's recovery?"

Hammer shrugged. "Not really. I guess praying wouldn't hurt. Nothing else at this point. Or maybe try talking to Sara and see what mystical wisdom she has."

Julius sat back down. "I'll try getting into the zone and meditate." Julius closed his eyes and focused on his breathing and noticed his surroundings until he reached a state of consciousness between sleep and awakened.

Sara's shimmering form appeared. "You wish to speak to me?"

Julius noted the large canyon of anxiety in his chest. "I can't believe Megan was really Carmilla. She was my world. I try to put on a brave face for everyone else, but I don't know how I'm going to carry on after this."

Sara approached. "I sense Carmilla in the grave, rotting in Hell. She'll remain there until Jiang-Shi is summoned from slumber once again."

Julius sighed. "What about our Yoko? Is she going to survive this? Besides the emotional part of our friend dying, we need her to perform the Sanctuary Spell so we can get the Crimson Stone to get you out."

Sara smiled in a captivating way. "I still feel life in her. She'll get up eventually. I want you to tell her that I sense Charlotte Aulin in Heaven. That'll make her feel better."

Julius rubbed his hands together. "How did Leon cope with your death?"

Sara's smile faded. "He went back fighting the heretics. I wouldn't suggest that for you, though. You have a different destiny. I can feel it."

"Do you have any words of wisdom to help us defeat Jiang-Shi?"

"No. You know how to fight. You all possess the ability to reclaim the Crimson Stone. The power is within you."


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18**

Julius' eyes snapped open. "Sara came! She said Yoko will wake up!"

Hammer gave the Vampire Killer a high-five. "You go, girl!"

Arikado raised an eyebrow. "Did you just high-five the whip, or was that for Sara?"

Hammer gave him a dirty look. "It was for Sara, of course."

After days turned into weeks, Yoko finally moaned, "What happened?"

Hammer leapt for joy. "You're okay! You fought Death, but he almost got you and Julius. You were worse off, but thanks to my love and care, you're awake now!"

Yoko seemed startled. "Oh . . . thank you. Is Death still there? We need to stop him at once!"

Hammer warned, "Not in your condition! You just gained consciousness! Besides, Death was taken care of. The only one left is Jiang-Shi. You're going to get an ample supply of healing potions when you take him on. This is NOT happening again!"

Yoko blushed. "Thank you for your concern."

Julius grew impatient. "Do you think we should all take on Jiang-Shi and leave Yoko with Hammer?"

Hammer enthusiastically bobbed his head. "That's a great idea! She'll be much safer with me. It'll also save us time."

Olrox pointed out, "Sanctuary Spell, remember? We can't leave her behind."

Yoko didn't dare try to sit up. "You can bring the stone to me. The effects don't start that quickly."

Arikado crossed his arms. "That is our best option. This was a big scare. It was equal to when Maria Renard almost died in front of me."

Yoko recalled, "The girl you were in love with? She almost died in front of you?"

Hammer, intrigued, demanded, "Arikado had a lady? What happened?"

Julius filled him in. "Maria died a long time ago. Never mind. We're going to go fight. Onwards."

After numerous minutes of traveling, the men arrived at Jiang-Shi's resting place. Arikado kicked the door open and stepped inside. "Give us the Crimson Stone. You have no place among the living."

Jiang-Shi's eyes glowed a blood red. "Ah, Alucard. There will be no mercy. Your father is no longer in charge. I will not spare you."

Julius held up the Vampire Killer. "You'll be the one begging for mercy at the end of this."

Olrox transformed into a bat and sank his teeth into Jiang-Shi's flesh while Arikado sent fireballs to roast him. Julius slashed at him with the whip. Jiang-Shi clawed at them, ripping open their skin.

Arikado sent chilling icicles into Jiang-Shi's kidney. Like with Despoina, the extreme temperatures of fire and ice sent him into overdrive. Olrox kept up the fight by using telekinesis to sever the chandeliers from their hooks on the ceiling and crashed into him.

Jiang-Shi, to his credit, wasn't going to lose so easily. He lunged at Arikado and stabbed him with a silver sword. Julius whipped him with the Vampire Killer once more and Olrox kept hurling things at him.

Julius ran up the marble staircase snuck up behind the undead cretin and ripped the Crimson Stone off his neck.


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19**

They (minus Olrox) all rushed back to the entrance where Hammer and Yoko were waiting for them. Julius handed the Crimson Stone to Yoko. "This belongs to you."

Yoko eased back into her bed and fastened the stone around her neck. She raised her hands to perform the Sanctuary Spell. Benevolent magic flowed throughout her body and soothed her pain from Death's blades.

Arikado smiled. "Very good. Now for the Ebony Stone. Walter Bernhard had it. I believe Leon Belmont broke it when the Vampire Killer was first formed. Hmm."

A form materialized out of thin air. "I guess you need my help."

Julius sighed. "Joachim. Are you here to gloat that my wife was one of your kind?"

Joachim frowned. "No. I warned you about her. Since Leon got rid of the Ebony Stone, we're going to have to create a new one. Luckily for us, since Walter used it against me, I know what it's composed of."

Hammer snapped his fingers impatiently. "Well? What's it made of?"

Yoko proposed, "Let's go back to Japan. We can figure it all out later."

The group drove ordered a car to drive them to the airport. Yoko fell asleep and leaned her head on Hammer's shoulder, much to his delight.

After a few days, the gang tumbled into Soma and Josh's apartment, exhausted. Mina slung an arm around Yoko. "We should get you to the hospital. Come on, Soma. We really have to get her help."

Soma and Mina gently placed Yoko in the back seat while Soma drove them to the hospital. They entered and the secretary took one look at the sunken eyes of the pretty and disheveled witch with gauze coating her body like a cocoon. "Name?"

"Yoko Belnades."

"Injury?"

"Scythe blade marks."

The secretary gestured to the seats. "Wait here while I call the doctor."

5 minutes passed until Yoko's name was called. A beginner nurse took her temperature, blood pressure, and examined her throat and eyes. "You don't have a fever. From all the bandages, I take it that you had a massive loss of blood."

Yoko nodded. "Yes. I did."

The nurse cracked her knuckles and typed on the computer. "What happened?"

Mina held Yoko's hand while she garnered the courage to talk about the supernatural world with a secular lady. "Well, my friends and I were attacked by someone with a scythe. He really cut me."

The nurse picked up the phone. "I'll phone the police. They'll be here shortly and you can tell them. Don't worry, we'll catch whoever it was."

Yoko flinched like she was struck. "Please don't! I can't talk about it. I just want to get treatment for these wounds."

The nurse shook her head. "I have to by law. I can't allow this person to go unpunished. I can tell them that you've experienced trauma and the subject bothers you."

She left to get the doctor. Soma groaned. "How do we tell them that Death tried to kill Yoko? They won't believe us."

Mina shrugged. "Maybe we should call Arikado. He works in the government. I'm sure he could help us in that regard."

Soma sighed. "The charming dhampir to the rescue as always."


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20**

Arikado rushed into the hospital room as soon as the police gathered to talk to Yoko. Arikado shook their hands. "Genya Arikado, a member of a secretive branch of the government. Miss Belnades is a colleague. Rest assured, her attacker was taken care of." He handed his badge to the officers, who then left, satisfied.

Soma nodded in greeting. "Thanks for saving the day. We got in a bind there."

Mina tapped her foot impatiently. "Ergh-I hope the doctor gets here! He's taking forever!"

After a few more minutes, a woman in a white coat entered the room. "Hello. I'm Doctor Katou. What do we have here? Oh my! What happened, dear?"

Yoko scratched her head, feeling clumps of dried blood. "Scythe attack. The police already know. How bad are the cuts?"

Doctor Katou shooed the boys out and undid the gauze. "They're rather deep. I'd like you to stay here for a week just to make sure they aren't infected and give them time to close up."

Mina's eyes popped. "But is she going to be okay?"

Doctor Katou took Yoko's vital signs, even though the nurse already did. "I think so. Just rest for a long time." Doctor Katou ushered Yoko into a room.

Mina found Soma and Arikado. "Yoko's going to stay for a week. Let's go home."

Soma yawned as they trekked toward the car. "Did Joachim follow us here?"

Arikado answered, "Yes. He's behind us now. I'm sure he'll make himself visible once we're all together."

After a silent car ride to Soma and Josh's dorm, Mina placed her head in her hands. "I'll walk to my room and get my homework. We're all hanging out here for a while, and I got to keep my grades up."

Julius and Hammer inquired, "Yoko?"

Soma revealed, "Hospital. They're keeping her there for observation. I feel like I should've went instead. I feel guilty."

Arikado rested his hand on his chin. "No. You, Josh, and Mina have school. Besides, this is Yoko's career. This is her job. This is what she loves doing."

When Mina arrived, a figure seemed to pop into existence. "Hello! Did you all miss me?"

Josh grabbed at Arikado's gun with blessed bullets. "AAH! VAMPIRE!"

Julius swatted his hand away. "Easy! It's Joachim. He's here to help us."

Hammer sighed. "Are you going to tell us what the Ebony Stone is made of yet?"

Joachim grinned. "Of course! You're going to need the internal evil soul of a Succubus, sweat from pure fear, and an empty vessel to store them in."

Josh shrieked, "No! Not us! No evil things going into us!"

Joachim regarded the anxious young man the way a human looks at a newborn puppy or kitten. "You're cute, kid. I meant a rock, crystal, or gem with no supernatural elements to it. Once the soul and sweat combine, the Ebony Stone is made."

Arikado wrote that down. "Thank you, Joachim. Anything else worth our while?"

Joachim shook his head. "Not really. If I remember something, I'll just tell you. I'm joining this time until Sara is in Heaven. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Besides, I know how immortality is. Sara doesn't deserve it trapped in the whip."


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER 21**

Joachim vanished again while Hammer was still wrapping his mind around Arikado's dating life. "So this Maria . . . was she a blonde?"

Arikado gave him a confused expression. "Uh . . . yes. Why?"

Hammer shrugged. "Just seeing."

Arikado gave him a weirded-out glance. "O-kay . . . I'll check to see if there are any reports of a Succubus skulking around somewhere. Which one of you wants to check for a crystal?"

Julius shook his head. "I have to tell Nick he's a dhampir." Julius called his son. "Hey Nick. How are you? Good? That's good. Listen I got to talk to you. No, your mom is doing horribly. No, don't be concerned. She's dead. Why didn't I call you? BECAUSE I WAS FIGHTING FOR MY OWN LIFE AGAISNT THE UNDEAD!"

Mina suggested, "Do you want me to break the news to him? You don't seem like you're in the right frame of mind."

Julius nodded and went into the kitchen. Mina took the phone. "Hi Nick. This is Mina Hakuba. I'm one of your dad's friends. I'm sorry about your mother. I'm not certain about the details of her death, but there was a disturbing revelation that was revealed shortly before it happened. It turned out that she was really a vampire. I'm sorry."

Mina consoled him for a few minutes and dealt with his disbelief until Arikado glanced at the clock. "It's time for us to head out. Hammer, can you look for a crystal suitable for hosting a soul? Ask the priests of Hakuba shrine. They might have an extra you can borrow."

Hammer saluted him. "You got it!"

One by one everyone meandered out until there was just Soma and Josh left. Soma checked, "How're you? You got anxious back there."

Josh shrugged. "I'm always nervous about something. Is Arikado mad at Hammer for asking about Maria?"

"I don't know. I doubt it. He doesn't really get mad. I take it that Hammer is still trying to see if he should consider Arikado a threat for Yoko's affections. 'Was she a blonde'? Smooth, Hammer. Smooth."

Half an hour later, Nick arrived in a huff. "Dad, what's going on?"

Julius took a deep breath. "Your mother came with me on this mission to retrieve the Crimson Stone. Later, she transformed into Carmilla. She was always Carmilla . . . she wanted to get close to me to lure me away from Charlotte Aulin so Jiang-Shi could kill her and take the stone."

Nick held his head in his hands. "I can't believe it. Besides my mother being evil, I'm a dhampir? I'm immortal?"

Soma shook his hand. "Just like Arikado! You'd get along just fine. Would you like to help us with our objective of saving Sara Trantoul?"

Nick rubbed his hands together. "I suppose so."

As Soma filled Nick in on everything that happened, Hammer knocked on the door. Mina let him inside while he broke the bad news. "The priests didn't have any empty gems. They did refer us to some guy in France."

Josh sighed. "Will they actually have it?"

Julius' brow crinkled. "Did they give you any contact information?"

Hammer handed Julius a slip of paper with a phone number on it. Julius perked up. "Oh! Jacques Dubois! I'll give him a call."

A few minutes later, Julius greeted, "Hey Jacques! How's it going? Listen, we've got an important matter. We need an empty crystal vessel to store a Succubus soul with. What's the price? A hundred eighty? Done. I'll go on a plane to meet you as soon as possible. Don't let anyone else buy it, okay?"

Julius hung up. "Well, who wants to come with me to Lisieux?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Everyone raised their hands, and Julius gave the college students a dirty look. "Nice try! Believe it or not, even in this vampire-hunting career, we like our interns with college degrees."

Arikado reentered empty-handed and crinkled his brow at the sight of Nick. "Who are you?"

Mina introduced, "Arikado, this is Julius' son, Nick. He's a dhampir like you. A Belmont dhampir. Do you know how amazing this is?!"

Arikado scratched his chin. "Of course. With an immortal Belmont, we no longer have to worry about the bloodline going extinct."

Julius filled him in, "We're going to Lisieux to get an empty soul gem. Any luck tracking down a Succubus?"

Arikado shook his head. "Not yet, but I'm sure one will pop up eventually. Besides, we'll need to get the gem first if we're to capture a soul without Soma's power of dominance. Mina, Soma, Josh, I know you're disappointed that you can't join us. But you still do have an assignment: check up on Yoko daily."

Hammer muttered, "That should be my job."

Julius chided, "You would rather the kids leave their studies? Come on now, Hammer. You can return to your quest of wooing her later."

Soon, Julius, Arikado, Hammer, and Nick were on a plane boarded to Lisieux. Nick poked Arikado's shoulder. "So, who's your vampire parent?"

Arikado had an urge to ignore him, but since Nick was immortal, he was bound to find out someday. "I want you to keep this on the down-low, do you understand? My father was Dracula."

Nick's eyes popped. " _The_ Dracula?"

Arikado nodded. "Dracula, otherwise known as Mathias Cronqvist. I am the child of his second wife, Lisa. Yours is Carmilla? Carmilla started the witch hunt that killed my mother. She also pretended to be a woman named Megan."

Nick sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You're not your mother. Thankfully, sin isn't inherited."

Hammer countered, "Original Sin is."

Arikado stared at him, annoyed. "Yes. However, that's the only exception. Carmilla and Dracula's crimes don't work that way."

Once the plane landed, the group hiked over to the shop Jacques had. Julius practically banged the door open. The store had a low ceiling where everyone almost hit their heads. Jacques held out the empty gem. "A hundred eighty, please."

Arikado handed him the money and pocketed the item. "By any chance, is there a Succubus lurking around?"

Jacques shook his head. "No, sorry. Why do you ask?"

Hammer filled Jacques in on the recent events and the hunt for an Ebony Stone.

Julius thought for a minute. "Since I only ripped the Crimson Stone off Jiang-Shi's neck, there could be a Succubus in his lair."

Hammer frowned. "Can Jiang-Shi survive without the Stone?"

Arikado exhaled. "Yes, but severely weakened. I suppose we should head back to China."

In a few days, they arrived at Jiang-Shi's fortress. Hammer started preparing his old spot for a shop. "I'll let you do your thing. Good luck in there."

Arikado and Julius forged on ahead. Julius complained, "Why did I let Curtis Lang go on break?"

Arikado recalled, "He was so exhausted from his training he needed one. Let's continue our search for a Succubus."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

As Arikado and Julius ventured through Jiang-Shi's lair, Julius cursed himself for not killing the vampire while he was there, but at the same time grateful so they could capture a Succubus in the gem.

They battled low-level monsters until they reached into the deepest trenches of the castle, where a bunch of Sara lookalikes bombarded them. Arikado warned, "It's the Succubus pack! Trap one of them in the rock!"

As one of them tried to high-kick Julius, he dodged and hit her with the whip. Arikado shot flames that incinerated all but one. Julius hurled the empty gem at the Succubus while Arikado stabbed her with a finishing blow. As the monster's soul was sucked into the gem, Julius pondered, "Should we kill Jiang-Shi?"

Arikado shook his head. "Normally I'd say yes, but we might end up needing more monster souls down the way. Let's just go back to Japan."

After a thankfully short flight, everyone regrouped in Soma and Josh's dorm. Arikado transferred the Succubus soul to the empty gem. "Now all we need is some sweat of pure fear."

Mina raised an eyebrow. "How are we supposed to get that?"

Josh raised his hand. "I experience fear every day."

Arikado considered that. "I'll just have to collect your sweat in a vial and pour it into the gem."

Hammer wrinkled his nose. "That's disgusting!"

Julius criticized, "Do we have a different choice?"

Josh sulked. "Just wait around for a bit. I'll start having anxiety later."

Soma asked, "Do you think you should see a therapist? You suffer a lot from this."

Mina nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, it could really help you! After we collect your sweat, we'll make an appointment at the counseling center on campus!"

That evening, Joachim appeared. "The new dawn is approaching. Can you feel its warm rays?"

Julius rolled his eyes. "Stop trying to sound sophisticated with your poetic metaphors. You'd burn if the sun reached your skin."

Everyone groaned while the two entered a verbal dispute.

The next morning, when Soma and Josh were running late for their class, Josh underwent a panic attack. Soma grabbed his phone. "Arikado? It's time to get Josh's sweat. Please hurry. We might not make it to biology."

Arikado sprinted to the boys' dorm. "I have the necessary materials." He collected some of Josh's sweat and sealed it in a beaker. "Thank you for enduring this suffering for our sake, Josh. Hammer should be honored to have a younger brother like you."

Josh reddened. "Aw! I'm just glad that I'm of use to everyone."

Arikado responded, "You were always of use. Never let anyone tell you otherwise." He left to go back to Julius and Hammer.

Upon his arrival, Hammer crossed his arms. "I hope that this works."

Julius poured the sweat in the gem. The rock pulsated black for a few moments. When it stopped, it was completely black. Julius stepped back from it. "Looks like we got ourselves a new Ebony Stone. That was a lot easier than getting the Crimson Stone."

Arikado closed his eyes. "Now let's focus on creating a Philosopher's Stone. I doubt Joachim can be helpful, since no one successfully made one."

Hammer complained, "Now how are we supposed to save Sara if there's no way to make one?"

Julius grimly stated, "We'll just have to figure out the secret ourselves."


End file.
